Metal structure for railway cars



Sept. 16, 1930. A. E. SMALL 1,776,011

METAL STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Original Filed Oct. 19, 1922 boon-0000000000 00 laoeboonatanoo o g a AVA | c Q 0' o UIIGIBOBQOBGOOBQO uooauauovfibaovnoo BOGOOOGDQIDOO 00536000000000 Invenzor: A 'ihurli'. Sm 221.1

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Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE METAL STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS OriginaI'appIication filed October 19, 1922, Serial No. 595,634. Patent No. 1,681,811, dated August 21, 1928. Divided and this application filed February 18, 1928. Serial No.'255,451.

My invention relates to the construction of railway cars, and more particularly to metal end structures or walls for railway cars madeof one or more metallic plates or panels formed with integral reinforcing, stiffening and bracing embossments or corrugations. Howeventhis device may-be incorporated in the construction of car side walls, floors, roofs or doorsused in connection withrailway cars of various types.

It is well known that the end walls of railwaycars are more likely'to be broken or otherwise injured than the side walls. This is due to the inertia thrusts and pressures caused by the shifting of the cargoes when the train starts or stops. These thrusts may be local, tending to distort the end insome particular spot, as, for example, when a piece ofpiping or lumber shifts lengthwise impartinga blow against the end wall-of the car; or there may be a general tendency to break out the end wall as a whole or tear itaway from the framing. For the "purpose, therefore, of greater strength and durability, car ends have been constructed of metal plates corrugated or formed with ribs to impart the desired strength, rigidity and resiliency.

One of the principalobject's of my invention is to provide a corrugated or embossed metallic end structure for railway cars :in which the corrugations or embossmentshave a configuration and arrangement that impart to the structure a maximum capacity for resistingeargo thrusts, both local andgeneral, static or quiescent, and with suflicient resiliency vto-prevent permanent distortion due to the thrusts of the loads, with a minimum weight of metal. It is important that struc tures of this sort should be as light as is possiblo consistent with strength and durability, both for reasons of economy in manufacturing cost and also tokeep the weight of the car at a minimum.

A further object is to provide a corrugated metallic wall element that is practically pos sible to manufacture. A'further objeotis to provide a metallic wall element with cornu- 'gations or embossments that resist to a greater degree torsional stresses, as well as brace the element, and the car end against diagonal side thrust-s or wearing.

Another object is to form a metallic plate with integral corrugations or embossments which impart to it a certain amount of strength and rigidity to resist Lloadsuniposed thereon and to so form the ends ofth'ezoonrugations or embossments as to provide a .certain amount of resiliency to enablethmpl'ate to deflect and return to its normal position without appreciable amount :of permanent distortion.

In the drawings:

Fig. lis an end elevation of a car equipped with my invention.

- Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a corrugated plate.

Fig. 4 isa top view of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 .ofFig. 3.

:Fig. 6 is a sectionon line 6+6 of Fig. :3.

:Fig. 7 isa section on line 7-37 .of Fig.3.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section of a portion ofthe plate'on line 55 of Fig. 3.

Figp 9 is an enlarged SGCDiOlLOfzEl port-ion of the plate on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 1O is an enlarged section'of a portion of the plate on line 7-7 of Fig.3.

Like'charactersof reference designate like parts.

Referring :to Figs. 1 and 2,:the corrugated'or embossed plates or panels 1, Qand 3 extendacross the car from side to side and.

are formed withintegral flanges .4 along-the vertical edges wh ch overlap and are secured to the :frame membersof the side walls fi of the car by. any suitable means. The top edge are securedto the plates 1, 2 and 3 bybolts and lining 11 is secured to the nailing strips 10. While the corrugations or embossments are shown pressed outwardly from the original plane of the plate andin horizontal arrange ment, it is understood that the corrugations or embossments maybe pressed inwardly or partially-inwardly and partially outwardly from the original plane of the plate, or the corrugations or-embossments may be. placed in any position; :for instance, vertically or horizontally. The plates or panels may be applied to any'type of railway can I 7 Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive show thepreferred form wherein the plate is provided with a plurality of major corrugations or emboss= ments 20 with arcuate apices which are spaced apart distances substantially equal to their respective widths and the parts 21 of the plate between the majorcorrugations or embossmentsare also arcuate so that the confi'gura- 'tion is symmetrical in cross section about a line midway between the outermost portions iof-these ma or corrugations or embossments (see 5) which line is the neutral axis of the section. Suchaesection is very strong on'account of the amount of metalposit ioned gations or embossments 20 are preferably widest-and deepest adjacent their middle portion and decrease in width towardtheir opposite ends and the radii of thearcuate apices decreases toward .the ends :of the embossments. 7 The metalli'cplateis also provided with a plurality" ofaligned'minor corruga tions orembossments 24; which lie between adjacent ma or corrugat1ons or embossments' 20 withtheir inner end terminating intothe plate (-25) and with their outer-fiends terminating into the plate'in line with the outer ends of the major corrugations or emboss-,

ments.

3 The outer ends of the minor corrugations or embossments- 24 have arcuatev apices' and the parts-25 of the plate between the outer ends of the minor corrugations or embosss ments andthe outer'ends of the major corrugations or embossments are also'arcuate so that they form a cross section of sinuous con figuration, and, furthermore, the outer ends; of the'ina or and minor corrugations or em- 'bossments are equal 1n Wldtlr and spaced,

apart distances substantially equal totheir respective widths so that they form a contiguous sinuous configuration symmetrical in CIOSSSGCtlOil about a lmemidway between the outermost portions of the corrugations or embossments (see Fig; 7 which line' is the oppositeend portions former and is more neutral axis of'thesection. Such a section is very resilient and has a spring like action 7 under load, and, further, produces a "very strong section for theamount of metal used.

The major and minor corrugations or em-- j bossments merge ,into' the plane of the plate bymeans of terminal portions 26 of any desired formation. By such an arrangement a corrugated metallic plate is provided which, is relatively rigid-adjacent'themiddle of the' embossments.

steel platess'othat when the-section modulus of ,anyvsection (normal to the corrugations) result equals the bending moment-of that section for either a load concentrated at the middle of the corrugatedpart ofthe plate orfora load equally distributedover the cor- 1 'rugated part of theplate, thus showing that I havenot; sacrificed any" required strength at the ends of the beams'to obtain resiliency;

in other words, byv my .constructionI obtain a very strong plate which is also resilient.

A "I have designed my invention 'for'use in is multiplied by a? constant fibre stress the j As the major corrugations-increase in width w and depthjtoward their middle portion, the

minor corrugations decrease infwidth and depth proportionately so that the lengths of the center lines of the metal of all cross sections of the corrugated portion of the plate- 5 are equal; o o

The major and minor corrugations may be positionedand dimensioned so that the length middle (see Fig. 5) is thesame as thelength of the center line of the metal of a cross sec V tlOIl of the major and minor corrugations adjacent their end portions. (See Fig. 7.) Furthermore, the corrugated' platelmay be so formed that the'length of the center line I,

of the metali ofa'ny cross section (for instance, as per, Fig.56) is equal to the length of the center line of the metal of any other cross of the centerlines' of the metal of a cross sec- 7 a, j" tlon ofthe'ma or corrugations adjacent their 7 section, that-is, between the terminal ipor-y tions. This is amaterial manufacturing ad;

vantage as it Qmore evenly; distributes the draw-and stretch of the metal-due-to pressing the corrugations in the pla e. Y Y e Plates, provided with a, plurality Orson possess a considerable amount of elasticity and when struckfa blow deflectreadily and tiguous narrow corrugations orlembossments 1 I w m regain their shape without distortion, where?" as, a plate 'provide'dwith' wide arcuatecor rugations, though better able to carry quies-v cent loads," has not the resiliency of; the

struck 'a'blow.

readily distorted when It is, therefore, desirable to design a plate-I that possessesgreat strength to withstand o the) sudden impact loads or blowswithsufli- H o cient resiliencyf to resist distortion, 1

plate and relatively reslllent, ad acent the v of the corrugations or The major corrugations or embossments are of uniform width for a short distance at the center of the plate, the object being to form a corrugated plate of greater strength for a wider portion of the plate and also to facilitate the changing of the dies used for forming the corrugations or embossments.

The drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

This is a division of application No. 595,634, filed October 19, 1922, which ma tured into Patent No. 1,681,811 on August 21, 1928.

' I claim:

1. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices, said plate also provided with pairs of ali ned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments.

2. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices decreasing in width toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments which increase in width toward their outer end and terminate into the plate substantially in alignment with the major embossments.

3. A -metallic plate formed with a plu rality of major embossments with arcuate apices decreasing'in width and in depth toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments which increase in width and in depth toward their outer ends and terminate into the plate substantially in alignment with the major embossments.

i. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with. arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous configuration.

5. A I metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configu ration, said embossments decreasing in width toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments with the parts of the plate between the ad j acent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous configuration.

6. 1% metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said embossments decreasing in width and in depth toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous con-- figuration.

7'. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said plate also pro vided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments, the outer ends of the major and minor embossments being spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous configuration.

8. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said embossments decreasing in width toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments, the outer ends of the major and minor embossments being spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous configuration.

9. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major cmbossements with arcuate apices spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said embossments decreasing in width and in depth toward their ends, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between said major embossments the outer ends of the major and minor embossments being spaced apart distances substantially equal to their width with the parts of the plate be tween the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of sinuous configura' tion.

10. A metallic plate formed with a plurality of major embossments with arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate configuration, said embossments and said parts forming a cross section symmetrical about a line midway between their outermost portions, said plate also provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minor embossments lying between Ill) ' I 1Q r a ma or embossments also of arcuate configurat1on,isa1dembossments and said partsformsaid majorembossments with the parts of v the plate between the adjacentendslof the major and minor embossments also 01" sinuous configuration, the adj acent ends of the major j and minorembossments forming a cross section symmetrical about a line midway be;

tween their outermost portions. j 4 V 11 A metallic plate formed with a plurality-E of major embossments with; arouate apices withthe parts of the plate between the ing a cross'section symmetrical about. a line midway between their outermost portions,

said emboss nent's' decreasing in widthtoward their ends, saidzplate also provided with 'pairsol aligned sinuous minor 'embossments mg a crosssect on symmetrical aboutla'line f' "midway between the r outermost portlons,

lying b'etween'said major embossments with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends 01" the major. and minor embossments also of sinuous co'nfigurationyth'e adjacent ends of the major and minor embossinents forming across 'sectlon symmetrical about a line midway between their outermost portions.

apices with the parts 01 the plate between the ma or embos'sments also of arciiate configuration, said embossments and saidparts formsaid embossments decreasing in width and a in depth towardtheir ends, said plate also" provided with pairs of aligned sinuous minors I embossments lying'between said major embossments with the parts oi-the' plate-between the adjacent endsjof the major'randminor embossments also of sinuous configurat10n,

Lhe acent ends of the niaj Orland em 1 bossments forminga cross section symmet'ricalabout a line midway mos'typort1ons.

between their outer 13. A metallic plate formed with aplural ity of major embossments with arcuatei ap'ices spaced apart distances"substantially 7 equal to their width having-their; opposite ends terminating into the plate with the'parts ma or of the plate between the major embossments also of arcuate' configuration; said emboss ments and said parts forming ia cross seetion symmetrical about a line midway'between their outermost portions, said embossinents de'creasing' in widthfand indepth toward their ends, said platealso provided with a plurality of sinuous minor embossments lying betweensaid majorembossments which 1ncrease in width and n depth toward them outer ends until the ma or and Il'llIlOI e nhossments are'spaced apart distances sub stantially equal to their width with the parts of the platejbetween the adjacent ends of the major and minor embossments also of' sinuousconfiguration, the ad acent ends of theorand minor'embossments forming a '12. A metallioplate formed with a plurality of -major 'embossments' with arcuate crossi sectionisymmetrical' aboutaline 1 way between their outermost portlons. I 1%. A wallfor a-railway car comprlsingia metallic .pl'atesecured to oppositely disposed bossments lying between said major embosss outer ends ofthe m'ajor-andminor embosssaid oppositelyi'disposed tramejmembersp inents with the parts of the plate between the adjacent ends of the majorandiminor' embossrnents also of sinuous configuration, the

15. A wall fora railway car comprising a metallic plate secured'to oppositelyldisposed I frame members ofthe car-,said' plate provided with a plurality of major embossments with Y configurationy said plate also provided with a plurality: of sinuous minor embossm ents ly- 7 Q lng' between said ma' or 'embossments Wlth the areuateapiceswith thepai ts of the-plate bei tweenthe ma or embossments also of arcuate parts oi the plate between the adjacent ends or themajor an'dminor'embossmentsalso or: r sinuous ooiiligiirati'on',:'the outer ends oiqthemajor and minor embossments beingjsubst-anti'all'yin alignment and terminating into the plate adj'acentsaid oppositely disposed frame members. I I I 7 16. A metallic structureztor a railway car, comprising ametal-hol plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members. ofthe struc Joe ture, said plate providedwith a plurality of varying depthmajor corrugationswith arcuate apices with ithe parts of the plate-between" the": major corrugations also being arcuate, said'plateialso proyided with afplurality of minor-eorrugations flying substantially bei V tween the ma or corrugat ons Wl11Cl1'tIm1- liii nate' into the 'fplate adjacent said frame members substantially a in alignment 'with said] ma or corrugations where the sand ma or and;

its i minor corrugations have arcuate apiees anct the parts oft-he plate between the endsof the I and minor corrugations-are also of J arcuawe conf guration. J

' 17, A metallic'plateprovided a' pluirality ofmajor embossments having ar cuate apices with the parts of the plate between the embossinents also of 'arcuate configuration,

said major einbossments decreasing-in width and in'depth toward theiriopposite ends, said or i plate also prov-idedwitha plurality of minor embossme'nt'slying substantially between the -major embos'sments;vwhichlincrease in width and indepth tow'ardtheir. outer ends and terminate into the plate substantially in V alignment with the major embossments'where the major and minor aembossments have arcuate apices' and thefparts ofthe plate" be tween the ends of the'major and minor emmentsterminatinginto the plate ad acent bossment-s are also of arcuate configuration.

18. A metallic plate provided with a plurality of major embossments having arcuate apices, said plate also provided with a plurality of minor embossments lying substantially between the major embossments which terminate into the plate substantially in alignment with the major embossments where the major and minor embossments have arcuate apices and the parts of the plate be tween the ends of the major and minor embossments are also of arcuate configuration.

19. A structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of major embossments having arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the embossments also of arcuate configuration, said plate also provided with a plurality of minor embossments lying substantially between the or embossments which terminate int-o the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members where the major and minor embossments have arcuate apices and the parts of the plate between the ends of the major and minor embossments are also of arcuate configuration.

20. A structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of major embossments having arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the embossments also of arcuate configuration, said major embossments decreasing in width toward their opposite ends, said plate also provided with a plurality of minor embossments lying sub- 7 stantially between the major embossments which increase in width and terminate into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members where the major and minor embossments have arcuate apices and the parts of the plate between the ends of the major and minor embossments are also of arcuate configuration.

21. A structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of major embossments having arcuate apices with the parts of the plate between the embossments also of arcuate configuration, said major embossments decreasing in width and in depth toward their opposite edges, said plate also provided with a plurality of minor embossments lying substantially between the major embossments which increase in width and in depth toward their outer ends and terminate arcuate configuration.

22. A structure for a railway car comprising a metallic plate secured to oppositely disposed frame members of the car, said plate provided with a plurality of major embossments having arcuate apices, said plate also provided with a plurality of minor embossments lying substantially between the major embossments which terminate into the plate adjacent said oppositely disposed frame members where the major and minor embossments have arcuate apices and the parts of the plate between the ends of the major and minor embossments are also of arcuate configuration.

ARTHUR E. SMALL. 

